Chase Ink Business Cash vs Amex Blue Business Cash: Which Is Better?
Both are free. Both are cash back. But one bets on your bonus categories, and the other bets you'll never need to think about categories at all. Six rounds. Real numbers. One honest scorecard.
The verdict
Rounds split 3–3; Chase Ink Business Cash edges it on total score.
Two free cards, two different bets — Chase rewards a business that matches its categories, Amex rewards a business that doesn't want to match anything at all.
Choose Chase Ink Business Cash if…
- • Your spend concentrates in office supplies, internet, phone, gas, or dining
- • You want the bigger welcome bonus and don't mind a points-based redemption
Choose The American Express Blue Business Cash Card if…
- • Your spend is broad, new, or unpredictable with no dominant category
- • You want cash back that's automatic, with zero categories or caps to track
Round by round
- Round 1Welcome BonusChase Ink Business Cash winsChase Ink Business Cash9/10
$1,000
All-time-high offer, $8,000 spend in 4 months
- No redemption steps — credited straight to the account
- All-time-high offer, up from the usual $750 standing bonus
Source: Chase Ink Cash welcome offer, mid-2026
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card4/10$250-$500
Standard $250 offer, targeted offers up to $500 reported for select applicants
- Lower, faster spend threshold ($3K/3mo)
- Even the best-case bonus trails Chase's standard offer
Source: Amex Blue Business Cash welcome offer
This round goes to Chase Ink Business Cash.
- Round 2Everyday Rewards RateThe American Express Blue Business Cash Card winsChase Ink Business Cash6/10
5% / 2% / 1%
High peak rates in two specific categories, low 1% floor elsewhere
- 5% and 2% rates each apply on up to $25,000 of spend a year
- 1% floor on anything outside the two bonus categories
Source: Chase Ink Cash rewards structure
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card8/10Flat 2% on everything, up to $50K/yr
- Beats Chase's 1% floor on any non-bonus spend
- Ties Chase's 2% gas-and-dining category rate on all other spend
This round goes to The American Express Blue Business Cash Card.
- Round 3Category Bonus CeilingChase Ink Business Cash winsChase Ink Business Cash8/10
$1,750 max
5% + 2% caps combined at $50K matched spend
- Higher theoretical dollar ceiling than Amex's flat cap
- Only reachable if spend genuinely matches the categories
Source: Chase Ink Cash cap structure
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card6/10$1,000 max
2% on any $50K of spend, no category matching required
- Achievable on any spend mix, not just specific categories
- $750 lower ceiling than Chase's best-case category-matched cap
Source: Amex Blue Business Cash cap structure
This round goes to The American Express Blue Business Cash Card.
- Round 4Redemption SimplicityThe American Express Blue Business Cash Card winsChase Ink Business Cash6/10
1¢/pt fixed
Ultimate Rewards points redeemed for cash/statement credit via Chase portal
- Points can be moved to an Ink Preferred or Sapphire Reserve account to unlock travel-transfer value
- Requires a points balance and a redemption step
Source: Chase Ink Cash points value
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card9/10Auto statement credit
2% applied automatically — no rewards portal, no points math
- No risk of a points currency being devalued
- Applied automatically with no enrollment or category tracking required
Source: Amex Blue Business Cash rewards mechanism
This round goes to The American Express Blue Business Cash Card.
- Round 5Perks & ProtectionsChase Ink Business Cash winsChase Ink Business Cash8/10
Broader protection set
Cell phone protection, secondary rental car coverage, QuickBooks/Xero integration
- Cell phone protection when paying the wireless bill with the card
- Secondary rental car damage and theft coverage
Source: Chase Ink Cash perks
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card6/10Buying-power flexibility
Expanded Buying Power and Amex Offers, but no cell phone or rental car coverage
- 12-month 0% intro APR, useful for financing a large early purchase
- No cell phone protection or rental car coverage of any kind
Source: Amex Blue Business Cash perks
The protections round goes to Chase Ink Business Cash.
- Round 6Foreign Fees & FitThe American Express Blue Business Cash Card winsChase Ink Business Cash5/10
3% foreign transaction fee
- Built for one narrow, domestic-only spend profile
- $25,000 annual cap on each bonus category
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card7/102.7%
Slightly lower FTF than Chase; fits new and diversified-spend businesses
- Broader fit for businesses without a settled spend pattern
- Still not fee-free — no card here is built for international spend
Source: Amex Blue Business Cash fee structure
This round goes to The American Express Blue Business Cash Card.
Which one is for you?
Business with steady office-supply, internet, gas, or dining spend
→ Chase Ink Business Cash · 5%/2% category rates can far outearn a flat 2%
New or diversified-spend business without a settled category
→ The American Express Blue Business Cash Card · Flat 2% on everything up to $50K, no category matching needed
Owner who wants the bigger welcome bonus up front
→ Chase Ink Business Cash · $1,000 vs Amex's $250 (up to $500 targeted)
Owner who wants cash back that's literally just cash
→ The American Express Blue Business Cash Card · Automatic statement credit, no points portal or redemption step
Side by side
- No fee, no strings, no threshold to unlock the full rate
- All-time-high offer on this card as of mid-2026
- Realistic $2,000/month spend pace for most small businesses
- 5% and 2% rates each apply on up to $25,000 of spend a year
- Lower, faster spend threshold ($3K/3mo)
- Beats Chase's 1% floor on any non-bonus spend
- Ties Chase's 2% gas-and-dining category rate on all other spend
- Achievable on any spend mix, not just specific categories
- $25,000 annual cap applies to each of the two bonus categories
- Hard annual cap on bonus-rate earning
- Worth only 1 cent each on its own, without a second Chase card
- Only pays off if real spend lands in these categories
- Even the best-case bonus trails Chase's standard offer
- $750 lower ceiling than Chase's best-case category-matched cap
- No cell phone protection or rental car coverage of any kind
- Still not fee-free — no card here is built for international spend